What Had Happened Was
by JustAnotherObsession94
Summary: An AU, modern A:TLA fic. Suki wants to go out for her b-day. Suki, Katara, and Zuko go out to a club and meet some very interesting old favorite characters of ours. Can they handle the adventure that is "Club Phoenix"? Caution: Odd shippings insinuated!
1. Suki's Birthday Wish

**Author's Note: This is something rather different from my other stuff that I have posted. I wrote it a while ago and finally got around to typing and editing. I'm still finishing up the typing, but it's a completed fic for all intents and purposes. It's kind of a just for fun thing, implied Zutara and everything else, I guess the only way to describe it would be a total crack-fic, but I hope you guys like it! I claim no rights to Avatar: the Last Airbender, nor any rights to any songs or artists mentioned in the following chapters of this fanfiction, nonprofit story that I have written. Enjoy and review please! =)**

Katara sighed as she flopped down backward on her waterbed as Suki and Toph followed her into her room.

"Well, that was fun." Katara said, trying to make light of the previously occurring fail of a surprise party for Suki. The birthday girl rolled her eyes, "yeah, nothing beats cleaning up a huge ice cream cake mess from your plush carpet without even getting to taste it."

"Or," Toph chimed in, "having a short tempered firebender accidentally make the radio explode. Haha Suki, it's kinda funny how your boyfriend caused both of those things."

"Oh shut it Toph. He didn't mean to." Suki said, chucking a pillow at the spunky blind girl.

"Watch it Fangirl!" Toph said, tackling Suki to the floor. Katara sighed at her friends.

"You guys think we can still do something fun today?" Kat asked once her friends had stopped bickering.

"Yeah, the night's still young."

"Uh, Suki, It's like, eleven."

"Exactly!"

Katara rolled her eyes at her nightlife lovin' bestie.

A few moments of contemplative silence passed while the friends brainstormed until suddenly the redhead shot up into a sitting position."Guys, I know what I wanna do." Suki declared. Slightly scared to hear the new epiphany, Katara asked what it was she wanted."Wait," Suki said before answering, "Kat, is your dad asleep yet?"

"Umm, he should be….why?"

"Because, we're going out."

"This sounds like a really bad idea." Zuko said from the other end of the phone line.

"Nu-uh," Katara protested. "I mean, that's why we're taking you. You'll be like, our body guard slash designated driver kinda person. C'mon Zuko, you know how terrible Suki's party was! This is what she wants to do." She heard Zuko sigh and imagined him pinching the bridge of his nose between his finger and his thumb as was his usual routine when he was stressed or something.

"Are you guys even going to be allowed in? Club Phoenix is a 21 and up club and it's her nineteenth birthday."

"Oh they'll let us in."

"How do you know that?"

"Maybe because of the fake IDs _you_ made for us all a few months ago."

Zuko had forgotten about that.

"Oh, right." Katara heard him sigh again and she knew he was about to give in to their plan. "Does your brother know?"

"Definitely not."

"Aang?"

"No way!" Katara would never tell her freakishly overprotective boyfriend about this scheme.

There was a pause from Zuko's end of the line as he tried to think of one last substantial reason to stop them from going.

"Fine. I'll be at the corner of your street to pick you up in fifteen."

"Thank you Zuko! I owe you one."

"Yeah, whatever." I am so going to regret this, he thought.

The trio had decided that Toph would stay behind since she could pass for at most fourteen and she didn't really want to go anyway. She was going to stay at the house and cover for the teenage duo. And besides, Toph couldn't decline a night of arm wrestling with Sokka and practical joking with Aang.

When Zuko drove up to the corner, Suki and Katara stood waiting for him. The redhead was dressed in an edgy silver top and tight snakeskin purple miniskirt, metallic boots up to her thighs. Katara sported a short red skirt, lined in black lace, and a matching low cut top that showed off a good bit of her midriff and even more cleavage, thanks to a new hand me down push up bra from Suki. Her legs were covered in sexy fishnets and she had on shiny black pumps.

"Wow." Zuko said when he drove up, "you two look…nice." He averted his eyes from Katara's body as the two girls hopped into his sleek red corvette.

"Uh, thanks," Katara said, turning away to hide her blush. "Suki's work."

"Why does that not surprise me?"

Everyone knew that it was always Suki in charge of the group fashion in times of need, especially with more risqué styles and circumstances.

"You don't think it's too, uh, showy, do you?" Katara asked Zuko, self consciously running her fingers through her hair. "I feel like I have a 'rape me' sign taped to my back"

"You think?" Zuko said, leaking a bit of venom into the words. Katara looked away, her self confidence dropping to a general uneasiness.

"Well," She said, "I guess I could go change, or just go home. I mean-"

"No, Katara," Zuko cut her off, "I'm sorry. I shouldn't have said that. You look great and you're not going to get raped. I won't let that happen."

Katara smiled behind her hair at the decisive protectiveness in her friend's voice. She knew that Zuko wouldn't let anything bad happen, that's why he was with them in the first place.


	2. Club Phoenix

**Author's Note: Here's chapter two! Let me say again that I claim no rights to the characters, places, songs, or artists in this fic. Please enjoy and review!**

The trio pulled into a relatively good parking spot once at Club Phoenix and Zuko killed the engine. "Let's just get this over with," he muttered, still pessimistic.

"Thank you Zuko!" Suki exclaimed, glomping Zuko. He waved her off and rolled his eyes, saying something negative under his breath.

Getting into the club proved easy enough as Zuko was friends with the manager, a beautiful young woman by the name of June. She seemed to be pretty lax about the regulations of the place, probably because she was reasonably confident in her abilities to handle any ugly situations that erupted in her club.

"Okay, uh be careful you two, please," Zuko started beseechingly, "I used to work here and there are some freaks that come here, I would know. For instance, my dad's friend, this real perv-asshole Zhao comes here a ton, but we don't have to worry about him tonight because he's eating dinner with my father back at the house. I would not have let you come here tonight if I thought he would be anywhere near this place." He directed the last part to Katara.

"Ew, your dad's friends come here?" Suki asked in disgusted disbelief.

"Yeah," the blue eyed girl agreed, "I didn't think anyone in your dad's circle of millionaires would bother coming here."

"They've got to spend all the dirty money they get on something," Zuko said bitterly as he addressed his father's activities as the more-than-local drug lord, "drugs, booze, and prostitutes are right up their alley." Zuko made a wide gesture with his arm, indicating the aforementioned drugs, booze, and prostitutes cluttering the area. Zuko's words were swallowed by the blaring music as the three walked further into the flashy atmosphere.

In a particularly dense area of the crowd, Katara was cut off from her friends when two unfamiliar forms stepped in front of her, blocking her view.

"Hey there," said the slightly more burly of the guys. The other just nodded a greeting, his eyes scourging the waterbender's person.

"I'm Chan," the first guy declared in a voice that gloated arrogance, "and this is-"

"I'm Ron Juan," the other cut off his friend to introduce himself, stepping between Chan and Katara. "You look pretty hot; I'd love to buy you a drink." The one called Chan cut his eyes at his friend-turn-adversary and shoved him backward into the crowd to move in impossibly close to Katara. Chan put a hand on her shoulder, another on the bare small of her back. Nervously, Katara tried to slip away from the overtly forward teen. She mumbled an unheard phrase of resistance, but with the slightest sign of protest, Chan's grasp around her just got tighter as he pulled her closer to him. Her worries rose as her heart thudded in her throat as she quickly thought of a plan of action. Chan said something revolting but was cut short as he yelped out in surprise. Katara had been free enough in her arms to bend the drink of a passerby into her oppressor's eyes. Ron Juan was about to reenter the scene when he felt his back slammed onto the hard floor of the club. The familiar face of Katara's firebender friend appeared in his place. Katara breathed out a sigh of relief and yelled a thank you to Zuko over the blare of the music. He leaned down into her ear, asking that she would be more careful. They hadn't been there for five minutes and already he feared the worst. He couldn't stand to let anything bad happen to Katara while under his protection. Her overprotective boyfriend would go avatar state on his ass and not to mention her brother's instincts being released to lash out on him. Yet what scared Zuko more than an Avatar's wrath or a brother's fury was his own fears of letting anything happen to her. He wasn't her boyfriend, that was Aang, but he still cared about her, more than he could ever let her know. Just then, Suki danced back to her friends, two drinks in hand.

"Here Kit-Kat," she handed one to Katara, taking a sip from the other. "Wow, what happened to those guys?" Suki asked as she noticed Chan and Ron Juan's forms, which had presently both been knocked unconscious by Zuko seconds ago. Zuko and Katara exchanged a glance.

"I dunno."

"Yeah, no idea."

Suki shrugged off her friends' responses as they feigned innocence as that new hit single from Lady Gaga began to blast out of the club stereo.

"That's my SONG!" Suki squealed, "Be back guys." And she once again disappeared into the crowd. Katara just rolled her eyes and downed the rest of the drink that Suki had brought her.

"C'mon, let's go over there," Zuko motioned to a few empty seats at the bar as he led Katara over that way. "Um, you want another," he asked, noticing her empty glass.

"Yeah, thanks, but I don't know what." Zuko ordered her something mango.

"How is it?"

"Really good."

Zuko nodded, slightly pleased with himself that he hadn't failed epically at anything yet. Then he noticed Katara sway a bit on her seat. Oh, no. It hadn't occurred to him until then that perhaps the somewhat sheltered teen wouldn't be as experienced and tolerant of this kind of thing as he was.

"Wait, Katara,"

"Huh?"

"You have, um, drank before, right?"

"Not really, well, a little bit, why?"

"Uh, nothing, no reason." She finished the rest of the glass as they spoke. This was going to be a long night, Zuko thought pessimistically to himself.


	3. Jet

**Author's Note: Okay, Some of the transitions between chapters will be really weird, because I originally wrote this as one big chapter before I decided to break it down, so I apologize for the rough tranisitions, I just broke them up at each best stopping point I could fine. I still don't own anything except for the plot of the fic. Enjoy and review! =)**

Suki reappeared at the bar. "Katara! Come dance with me!" And she pulled Katara down and away from Zuko onto the dance floor. The duo danced to the beat of the random piece of pop culture filling the room. Not long after being pulled out to accompany Suki, Katara felt the body of a stranger brush up beside her.

"I'm Jet," he blatantly stated, into her ear as Kat giggled in a giddy way before introducing herself.

"Really, I thought you were beautiful." Katara blushed at the corny pick up line. "Dance with me." The stranger commanded and Katara obeyed, unaware of the countless pairs of eyes that focused in on her and her momentary partner. The song ended, leaving both teens sweating and breathing heavily.

"C'mon, you look thirsty. I'll get you a drink, alright," Jet suggested, draping an arm around the girl's nearly bare shoulders. Smiling, she replied in the positive. Katara's slightly clouded cerulean eyes took in his dark skinnies and pinkish halfway buttoned oxford. Oh yeah, this Jet guy was definitely cute, she thought to herself, and he knew it too. He ushered Katara over to a seat on the far right side of the bar before buying her the previously promised drink.

"Here you go babe," he said, mischievous yet oh-so-charming grin in place. Unbeknownst to the already intoxicated girl, the rave-veteran had quickly slipped two small tablets of ecstasy in her jack-sprite-Hawaiian punch on rocks. She took the drink and didn't protest when he wrapped his hands around her slim waist and pulled her into his lap. She giggled and nearly spilled the fresh drink before setting it down on the bar, after she'd taken a sip. "You wouldn't believe how beautiful you are in this lighting," the newly familiar stranger breathed into her ear. Katara blushed again and he pressed his lips to hers, his hands running up and down her form.

The hole in the wall was slightly busier than usual, hence June had asked her former coworker to help her out with the bartending. He was mixing a cup of "blood" for this more than likely underage boy when he noticed Katara being groped by some guy over at the far end. The sight made his blood boil as he tried to suppress the urge to rip out the offender's fast beating heart. The scarred eighteen year old slid the boy his drink (and pocketed the suspiciously generous tip) before hurrying over to the two. He leaned over the bar, threateningly close to the bold boy's face, voice dry, he interrupted this new adversary.

Jet unlocked his mouth from Katara's, annoyed by the interruption. "Um, hey. Can I help you?"

"Get your hands off of her. Now." The venomous ice in Zuko's voice would have scared any sober person shitless. But not Jet.

"She doesn't seem to mind," he retorted, "besides, no need to be all jealous like, how 'bout I go rent out a room for the night. I'm not so selfish that I won't share the spoils with a guy as good lookin' as you." Outraged, Zuko leapt over the bar, landing lithely on his feet in front of the brazen teen. This guy had some nerve, who did he think he was? He's not that good looking, well, maybe in some other situation Zuko would like to see what could happen, but not now. Now, this guy was some hotshot threat that Zuko needed to dispose of. Zuko grabbed Katara's arms, gently, but forceful, and started to pull her away from the predator. But the boy just held her tighter, his arms wrapped around her midriff and upper torso.

"She has a boyfriend. Now, hands off," Zuko hissed through his teeth, trying not to turn this into something more ugly than it already was.

"Oh yeah, who? You," he asked challengingly. Zuko felt that pain stab at his chest again. No, but he wished it was.

"No," he replied bitterly, "I'm her step-brother," he knew that family as close as that would be more likely to be able to ward off such a guy and besides that, he couldn't have claimed Sokka's place because he was pretty sure that the guy would have just thought he was lying, even in the odd lighting the two could never pass as relatives. "And the manager is my cousin," he gestured to June where she was presently taking care of two other muscular problems. "Get away from her or else you're out." The two shared a long, intense stare before Jet finally slipped Katara off of him. He got off the stool and gave the universal "one second" signal with his finger to Zuko when he gave Katara a last quick but full kiss. Indignantly, Zuko noticed that on top of that he gave Katara's ass a good smack before drifting off to go find some other poor girl.

"Katara, what were you thinking?" Zuko asked, exasperated, as he attempted to discipline her.

"Aw, Zuko, you're no fun," she pouted as she stumbled forward. Zuko caught her before she fell flat on her face. Those big blue eyes of hers looked into his own amber pair. "Zuko, you're kinda pretty," she mumbled , leaning against him. He sighed. She doesn't know what she's saying. He sat her back upon the barstool and thought about what to do, trying to respond to his duties of the night.

Protect Katara. She needs water. Where's Suki? We need to get her home, ASAP. She's so beautiful. She has a boyfriend. She even smells nice when she's drunk. Katara is off limits. It's not like she'd remember anything. That would just make it worse! Zuko tried to figure out what to do as he argued with his self in his head. Thankfully, Suki reappeared about that time."She's totally wasted, we have to get her home," Zuko explained.

"What, I can't really hear you!" Suki shouted over the song. The drunken Katara swaggered over to the redhead. "C'mon girl," the oblivious Suki said, "let's get back on the dance floor!" Zuko couldn't resist a face palm as the two left again. Naturally he followed them, exasperated at the whole situation. Dammit, where'd they go? He thought to himself after already losing site of them. Suddenly he saw a young man appear in front of him, blocking his already obscured view. Zuko recognized him as the minor with the big tip.

"Hello, I am Haru," he said in some thick accent. Great, what does this guy want? This is the last thing I need right now, Zuko thought to himself, exasperated to no end. "May I ask what is your name?"

"Uh, Zuko, look, I don't have time to talk right now. I'm looking for someone."

"Then, I'll help you look," Haru said in an overeager way. What's with this guy?

"No really- I just need to find my friend."

"Well then let's go!" Haru linked his arm in Zuko's and took off skipping in some random direction. "What is this friend's name?"

"Uh, Katara. Will you let go?"

"No, I help you look! Then you can have time to spend with me!" Zuko pulled away from the weird teenager.

"I'll just catch up with you later, okay?"

"If you insist. I will see you again."

"Uh, right. Bye." Zuko grabbed a random amiable looking stranger and shoved him in front of Haru. "Here, talk to him," and he dashed off to look for Katara.


	4. The Familiar Stranger

**Author's Note: Hey guys! Okay, this chapter is a bit more mature than the rest of the story has been so far, and the next chapter will be the same way, I still rate it Teen though because it's not explicit enough to be mature. Okay, having that said, tell me if you can figure out who the "familiar stranger" is, I think it's pretty obvious, but I wrote it, so I don't really know what it'd be like from an outsiders perspective. Okay, I have no rights except for those which the constitution gives me and it does not say that I own A:TLA or the characters. All places are fictitious. Enjoy and review! =)**

Katara was the center of attention on the other side of the club. She danced solo in the middle of a circle that had formed by witnesses trying to get a better look. The way she moved on the dance floor made every man watching wonder just how she would move elsewhere. Katara was hardly aware of the lustful stares from the crowd as she danced sensuously under the influence of multiple unnatural substances. The song ended and Katara began to walk out of the spotlight to go and reunite with Suki. It took her a minute to notice a pair of bright topaz eyes staring at her from a couple of yards away.

Moments ago, two dangerous rather drunk men had set their eyes on the beautiful stranger of a girl.

"Check out that hottie," one had said. The other nodded without taking his eyes off of the girl that he had already spotted seconds ago.

"She's mine," the second man declared. The first man gave his friend a competitive glare. If he had just been slightly more sober he would have known better than to cross his stronger and smarter companion.

Katara had just noticed the pair of golden eyes as she walked somewhat aimlessly to the crowd, it was as if she was in a trance. The sight of those eyes almost triggered her to remember something, but she couldn't quite grasp what it was. Mesmerized, she walked toward the stranger. There was something comfortably familiar about him. Her woozy concentration was broken when she felt someone with rough hands grab her tightly around the forearms. She didn't know who he was or where he came from, but she knew that he smelled really gross. Katara tried to wriggle free from the stranger's grasp, but it was to no avail. Let go, Let go, Let go, she kept repeating in her head, never knowing if her voice was heard. It's too loud, she thought, too loud, and crowded, and scary, and that guy still hadn't let go! Her panicking thoughts were suddenly interrupted when she distantly felt the man's grip fall away from her arms. Dizzily, she sunk to the floor and looked around, trying to get an understanding of what was going on. She heard a man's voice stand out from the crowd. It was that guy that she saw earlier, the one with the amber eyes. She could see that he was reprimanding the other man, that must have been the guy that was grabbing her. Katara blinked, feeling how heavy her eyelids were. She opened her eyes again when she felt a firm but gentle warm hand on her arm. Someone was pulling her up off of the floor. It was so cold down there. She looked to see the source of the warm hand, it was that guy again. Something told Katara that his topaz eyes weren't the only thing familiar about him. What was it? That warmth, he seemed so warm to the touch. That strangely above average body temperature was like somebody else. Zuko. That's right. His name stood out through the haze of her brain. Zuko's warm like that. Like fire. And those eyes. The guy reminded her of Zuko. That's why she could trust him, she concluded. Zuko would be there for her, and hadn't this guy just helped her from some slimy stranger?

The guy said something to her, it sounded like an "are you alright" kind of question and the poor girl muttered an appropriate response. The familiar stranger leaned down to speak into Katara's ear.

"It is so loud and crowded here, come with me. I can take you somewhere with a much better…atmosphere." He waited, gauging her reaction. The blue-eyed girl nodded and he took one of her hands in his as he guided her with his free hand placed comfortably on her shoulder. This man in the blood red button down and black jeans led the wrongfully grateful young woman down a corridor and up a stairwell where he knew of a hallway full of rooms. He dished out big bucks for the hall's attendant and took the girl down to the last room on the hall. He made a point to utilize that particular room every time he went that way, for it was the best, and he would settle for nothing other than such.

He examined his entertainment for the night. She seemed old enough, he figured she must be about nineteen. A fine age. She was definitely the prettiest thing he'd had up there in a while. Maybe she'd be the best of the whole damn year. He saw the girl stumble and he steadied her, keeping up his pretense with difficulty only overcome by his experience. She was walking dreadfully slow in her intoxicated way and he was getting rather impatient with her. About halfway down the dimly lit corridor, he lifted her off of her wavering feet and carried her bridal style down the rest of the way. He was pleased when he felt her slender arms wrap around his neck, clinging to his ersatz safety. He smirked to himself as she buried her head in his shoulder, it would be even easier to seduce this naïve girl than he thought. He locked the door behind them before he set her down gently on the crimson satins of the bed.

"You look tired," he leaned over her and brushed a few strands of her hair off of her shoulder, let me relieve you of your shoes, I'm sure they are not the most comfortable on your feet." Eyes closed, she nodded, grateful in her scattered thoughts because her feet really were starting to hurt. The man slipped off her shoes and took in the appearance of her bare shoulders, her exposed midriff, feminine collar bone and curves, her fishnet clad legs were asking for it. He imagined what it would be like to see her naked body, to feel her, to take her. He slipped onto the bed beside her, careful not to get too close. She was like a butterfly, if he moved too fast or too close, she'd be frightened away. He waited to see what she would do. He felt a taste of victory when her body rolled in so that she was facing him and she wrapped her arms around his muscular torso. He noticed her dopey half-aware smile and vaguely wondered what the hell someone had slipped her earlier that night. He realized that in her current state he could probably abandon his little pretenses and she still wouldn't refuse him. He brushed the back of his hand down her side, ending the stroke by her waist. Katara moved in closer to him and muttered something that he couldn't quite understand, but he took it to be a name for sure. Perhaps she was so out of her mind that she thought that he was her lover?

**MEANWHILE**

Elsewhere in the club, Suki noticed that her two friends were both missing in action. Last she saw Katara she was dancing her ass off and then she disappeared into the far part of the crowd, by that back corner. Oh no, she thought, that couldn't be good. Suki decided that she needed to find Zuko. They did drag him along for a reason in the first place. He'd know what to do, and besides, maybe they were together, Suki hoped.

Okay Suki, think, she told herself. Where would they be? Maybe they stepped outside! Who knows, Zuko might have needed a smoke break. Suki bolted outside to the front of the club and to her relief, there was Zuko. He was slouched against the wall, head down and hands on his knees. Suki noticed that he kept making swift glances in every direction, like he was avoiding something, or someone.

"Zuko!" Suki shouted out to him before approaching her friend. She was going to ask him what he was doing out here and why he looked so skittish when Zuko interrupted, noticing her questioning attitude.

"Long story," he said. "I've been running from this gay Latino guy-"

"Is he cute?"

"Actually, yeah"

"Wait, was it Haru?"

"Uh, yeah, I think so. You know him?"

"Yeah, we go way back. But, that really doesn't matter right now. I need your help. I've lost Kat."

"You WHAT?" Oh no, Suki thought, angry firebender alert. She took a wise few steps backward. "C'mon, we HAVE to find her. Let's go," Zuko jumped to his feet and took Suki by the hand, nearly dragging her back into the club.

"Where should we look," Suki yelled out.

"Anywhere dark and suspicious"

"Zuko, we should split up."

"Okay, um, search the floor down here, make sure she's no t at the bar. I'll go ask June and then go that way." He pointed over to a back corner that looked particularly shady. " There's a stairwell over there that leads to a second floor hallway lined with rooms. If she's there, I will find her." The threat in his voice sent chills down Suki's spine. If anything bad is happening to her now, someone is going to feel the wrath of the angsty bender. The two split to search for their friend.


	5. Who's That Guy?

**Author's Note: Okay, here the identity of the "familiar stranger" is revealed if you haven't guessed it yet. This is the last chapter I have written, if you want an epilogue just let me know and I'll conjure one up =). I don't own Avatar: The Last Airbender or any of the characters pertaining to it. The places are all fictional. Enjoy! **

"June!" Zuko slammed into the bar, rushing to find any sign of the wayward water bender.

"Hey cuz, what's got your panties in a twist?"

"I can't find Katara. Have you seen her?"

"Oh," Zuko's cousin started, thinking as she casually washed a glass "you lost your girlfriend, again?"

"Yeah-wait, no-" He growled exasperatedly, "Have you seen her or not?"

"Yup. She was over that-a-ways last time I saw her." To Zuko's horror, June pointed to the way he had seriously hoped he would not have to go.

The scarred bender let out a loud curse as he bolted over to the stairs behind the dark corridor. He was right. Some slime bag had taken her up there. Whoever it was, he was going to regret it; Zuko would make sure of that.

Back behind the locked door, Katara's drugged senses were being pampered by the stranger. The man had begun with taking his time in seducing the girl, but he was getting bolder as his desire escalated and she continued to show no signs that she was uncomfortable or that she would try to run off, not like she could anyway.

He rested a hand on the inside of her fishnet covered knee, deciding to finally take another step towards his goal for the night. He pulled her fishnets off to reveal her smooth, shapely legs and seeing them made him wonder what the rest of her would look like. But he was in no hurry, for he was confident that he would have all night to find out. His fingers flitted up the inside of her leg, tickling her nerves. He stroked her skin up her thigh and under her sexy little skirt. Probing, he felt that her underwear was already damp from arousal. She moaned shortly in a soft, encouraging way when she felt his fingers underneath her skirt.

He noticed her previously shut eyes open and a new emotion replaced her drowsy, complacent expression when she looked into his face. She fumbled with the buttons on his shirt until she could feel his stony muscles bare against her palm. Trailing her fingers down his abdomen, she reached down and began to pull her panties down, but he finished the job for her, tossing the unnecessary article of clothing aside. Clinging to him as his fingers pleased her with more intensity; she kissed his neck and bit down on the skin. He hissed with desire when she maneuvered on top of him, her emotions taking control where her mental state was currently faltering. He adored the view of her breasts as she lied flat against him and he relished how her skin felt, but he wanted to feel more and to see more. Her hips- clad only in her frilled miniskirt, began to grind on his still-denim-wearing lower half. He groaned as his pants became tight to the point of being an uncomfortable nuisance. One of his hands was on her upper thigh, moving with her going down on him, as his other moved down to the button of his jeans.

Sure that Katara was nowhere to be found out on the floor of the club, Suki had made her way up the stairway to where Zuko had said he'd go look. She had picked open two of the doors already when she was joined by her furious firebending comrade.

"Have you seen her yet?"

"Nope, I'll check this side, you'll check that side?"

"Got it."

With that, Suki and Zuko frantically continued their search, opening doors that were not meant to be opened and seeing things that were not meant to be seen. Man, people did some weird stuff. Wait, where the hell did Elvis come from? She thought as she hurriedly shut another wrong door. Okay, this has got to be it, she thought, reaching the last door on the hall. Suki flung the door open to see exactly what they had feared. "Hey Zuko, I-" Suki cut herself off as she took a better look at who was with Katara. Thinking quickly, she shut the door before Zuko could get a look in there and she slammed him into the wall, pinning him down by the back of his head and his forearm.

"Suki, let me go! Is she in there?"

"Uh, no, nothing to see there," she said nervously. "HARU!" She shouted, realizing what she had to do to prevent total disaster. With that, the homosexual boy that had recently been infatuated with Zuko appeared in the dimly lit corridor, a shower of glittery confetti raining down to announce his arrival. "Haru, here, he's all yours," Suki commanded, pushing both boys into the room that Zuko had just picked the lock of across the hall.

"Suki! NO!" Zuko's screams of protest were lost behind the door as Suki jammed it shut from the outside. She let a relieved breath out before getting back to the task at hand. Her Kyoshi game-face on, she reopened the door that Katara was behind. Yep, there was no mistaking it, Suki thought, extremely glad that Zuko hadn't seen what she saw.

Due to the commotion outside, the man had sat up on the bed, leaning against the elaborate headboard with Katara comfortably lying against him, his arm wrapped around her possessively. Suki took in the almost-stranger's appearance to confirm her dark suspicions.

He had a straight mane of long black hair, a face that flaunted a flawless bone structure, his chin garnished with a simple stream of a beard, and those unmistakably fire bender eyes that he had passed down to the next of his line. He looked like he could be in his late twenties, but Suki knew him to be around thirty-eight. Honestly, Suki admired her friend's taste in older men, but the admiration was short lived as Suki came to terms with the danger at hand. She saw an annoyed anger in his expression that chilled her to the bone, she knew that this guy was not one to mess around with. Suki took a hesitant step into the room, prepared to duck out of the way of an irritated fireball making way toward her face.

"It is very rude to break through locked doors," the guy snarled, cuing Suki to leave. The redhead mustered up her courage to face this man and get Katara out of there.

"It's also rude to trick young girls into following you into, uh, places like this." The man waited like a cobra preparing to strike.

"C'mon Katara," Suki stepped forward again, "we have to leave." Katara shook her head slowly.

"Nu-uh, I dun' wanna leave," she mumbled. What? Suki thought in disbelief. Did Katara actually believe _him_? What is she on?

"Katara!" Suki placed her hand decisively on her hip, "We have to GO! Don't you see that this guy is old enough to be like, your dad!" Mentally Suki laughed at the sick irony of it. Zuko could sooo not find out about this. "Really, Kat, c'mon," Suki said as she began to pull on her intoxicated friend's arm. The oppressor sat up on the bed and pulled Katara into his lap, wrapping his arms around her in a protective way. He had picked up on her name from her silly friend's constant calling of it.

"Katara," he drawled in a velvety, villainous voice, "Would you rather go with her than stay here, with me?" When he felt Katara's slight hesitation, he pulled her close to him and kissed her fully on the mouth, running his hands up and down her body. Suki watched in shocked horror as Katara melted into him and he lowered the two back to lying on the bed. I can't believe this, Suki thought, what has gotten into her, well, hopefully nothing yet. She racked her brain for some way to get Katara away from the brazen firebender.

Just then, the desperately thinking teen turned at the sound of heavy footsteps bursting across the threshold of the exciting room. She saw that a new guy had come into the room, and by the look of him he was extremely pissed off. It was some middle-aged perv with the _weirdest _sideburns. Katara's captor nonchalantly pulled away from the kiss the two were engaging in and he rolled his eyes at the sudden newcomer.

"Get out of here, Zhao," he called from the bed.

"No," Mr. Sideburns, err, Zhao, growled angrily, "Ozai, you traitor! I saw her first!"

"Zhao, this is not the time. Leave, now." There was a dangerous cold to Ozai's voice, it sounded like the same threatening element that Zuko and his sister filtered into their voices when they meant business. Suki was almost scared for the new man on the scene. Didn't he realize that Ozai would most likely kill him without a second thought?

Suki watched, not wanting to get anymore in the way of this than necessary. She witnessed Ozai grab Kat's shoulders and lie on top of her, giving her a final kiss on her lips and then a long, vampire-like kiss on her neck. He pulled away and stood up to confront the inconvenient challenger. The animosity and testosterone in the air was almost tangible.

Suki seized her chance and darted toward the bed, grabbing Katara and flinging her over her shoulder; she carried her out of the forsaken room and slammed the door shut, jamming a chair under the knob just for an extra few seconds to make an escape. Halfway down the hall, Suki remembered Zuko and Haru. Katara in tow, she ran back to the room that she pushed the two in and opened the door. Zuko fell backward into the hall when the door on which he'd been leaning against sprung open.

"Suki, you're a crazy bitch, you know that?" He said as he scrambled to his feet, shutting the door quickly behind him. His hair was a mess and he looked like he'd been thrown into some kind of angry mob, minus the pitchforks.

"Yeah, I'm not the only one," She said, thinking about Katara. "I'm really sorry about that-"

"You better be sorry, you'd never guess who was in that room you just shoved me into with that Haru guy!"

"Yeah, Zuko, that's nice. We've really gotta go. C'mon, walk and talk." Suki lead him and Katara down the hall, trying to make it to the car before Zuko's daddy came back for Kat.

"So, uh, she was in there then?" He asked awkwardly, taking in Katara's discombobulated form. He went over to her and steadied her as they walked. "Where are her shoes?" Zuko picked Katara up off of her bare feet and carried her bridal style the rest of the way to the parking lot.

"Yeah, she was." Suki replied, getting into the passenger's seat as Zuko lied Katara down in the back.

Zuko got behind the wheel. "And why couldn't I have helped you get her out of there?"

"Because, if-uh, that just really wouldn't have ended well," Suki stumbled over her words, still not wanting to divulge to Zuko just how bad the events of the night were. "Zuko, just pull out of here."

"Why can't you just tell me? It's not like I can pull an Aang and go Avatar State on this place."

"Zuko," she said in a sing-song voice, "just drive. We gotta go." Suki noticed a particularly angry firebender making his way to the car that Zuko was supposed to be getting the heck outta there.

"I just don't see what the big deal is, she's with us now. What more could happen?"

"Uh, you could find out who took her up there."

"I wish I did! Wait, do we know him? Who was it? Dammit, Suki."

"Zuko drive!" She yelled as she saw Ozai running out to their car. Ozai was getting dangerously close to the car and Zuko was still refusing to move until he got his answers. This family was just too persistent, Suki thought. She frantically put the car in drive and hit Zuko's knee, forcing him to push the gas as she guided the wheel in his hands. Just as they were getting out of there, Ozai flung something into Suki's open window.

"Wait-that's, what is HE doing here?" The frustration and bewilderment seeped into Zuko's voice. "And what the hell was that?" He asked, referring to the items that were flung into the car by the pursuing Ozai.

"Um," Suki blushed as she held up Katara's shoes…and her underwear.

"What the-" Zuko's eyes widened in horror as he realized what had happened. Moments later, the firebender's overpowering feelings sparked the fuse in his car, and the car stopped short, still miles from Katara's house. Epic Fail.


	6. Arson Is Illegal

**Author's Note: Alright, here it is, the big finale you've all been waiting for! =P Thanks for sticking with all these chapters! Let me say one more time that I claim no rights to the characters from Avatar: The Last Airbender. They belong to Brike and Nickelodeon. Also, all places mentioned are fictional. Enjoy and Reveiw! **

"So what now, genius?" Suki angrily asked the firebender.

"I don't know! We have to get back to the house."

"No shit Sherlock." Zuko angrily banged his fist on the dashboard. "Oh, I know. Let's ask your Daddy for a ride, I'm sure he'd be more than happy to-"

"Suki, quit it. I am not in the mood."

"Fine, fine, whatever." She said, waving her hand.

"Hold on, Suki, wait here with Katara. I'll be right back." With that, Zuko got out of the presently useless car and disappeared into the parking lot. Suki sighed, looking at her out-of-it best friend.

Soon enough Zuko pulled up in a _nice _sleek red corvette. "Get in." He called to Suki and he went to the back seat and transferred Katara to the black leather of the new car. Suki and Zuko shut the front doors and Suki, awestruck, asked him whose car he jacked.

"It's my Dad's."

"Ohhhh, that would explain it. Man, he is going to be so pissed off at you."

Zuko shrugged. "Nothing new, I'll just spend the night at the Jasmine Dragon with Uncle." He zoomed the car out of the semi-crowded parking lot and drove back to Katara's house in a matter of minutes. Zuko parked the car on the side of the street, "I'll be right back," he said to Suki before going to tap on Katara's window to try to get Toph to let them in.

Peering into Katara's bedroom window, he saw Toph sprawled dead asleep across Kat's bed. He rapped on the window, hoping that she would wake up and let them in. No luck. Zuko exhaled deeply, trying to think of what to do. He jumped back in shock as someone appeared on the other side of the window.

"Aang, open the window," Zuko mouthed to the young Avatar. Aang opened the window, a look of deep concern and anger plastered on his usually amiable face.

"Where is Katara?"

"She's right over there; I'll go get her… and Suki. Uh, just, wait here."

Zuko darted off back to the car.

"So, can we get in?" Suki asked.

"Yeah, but it's about to get ugly. Toph fell asleep, Aang opened the window."

"Oh crap. How is he?"

"Um, let's hope that he doesn't go too out of control in Avatar State."

"Shit."

"Yeah, c'mon, help me get her over there."

The trio all got into Kat's bedroom window with little problem, the real next issue stood facing them, arms crossed and scowling.

"Where have you been? What's wrong with Katara?" Zuko stepped up to answer Aang's furious interrogations.

"She's asleep. We..uh…went out. To Club Phoenix, it was Suki's final birthday present." He uncomfortably scratched the back of his neck as he tried to explain their disappearance.

"You what? Zuko! How could you guys go there! Without even telling me, I mean, you guys just take my girlfriend and go out partying, without letting me or Sokka know?"

"We couldn't tell you, Aang."

"Why not?"

"Because Katara didn't want to tell you," Suki intervened, "She knew that you wouldn't let her go, even if she wanted to, especially since there was no way we all could have gone. Sorry Aang, but you couldn't even pass for fifteen."

"Guys, you should probably hush it up a bit-" Zuko warned, but it was too late. Sokka came through the door.

"What's going on?"

"Those three snuck out and went out to Club Phoenix!"

Sokka's jaw dropped and eyes bulged to extents that seemed humanely impossible.

"What were you thinking taking my baby sister out to that-that-place? Do you know how many times A WEEK Dad has to do some police work that traces back there?" He paused for a minute. "Well, what happened? I mean, Aang, think about it, it couldn't have been that bad, at least they all came back in one piece…well, three pieces…"

Zuko and Suki both suddenly became very interested in the patterns of the carpet.

"Hellllooo, guys, tell us what happened."

"Well, in the morning, Kat's gonna have herself a major hangover," Suki said to break the ice. Sokka and Aang were apparently not amused.

"C'mon guys, just spill. I'd rather just know now that it's happened," Sokka declared.

"Are you sure?" Suki asked her brotherly boyfriend.

"Yeah, really. I won't be mad, I just wanna know."

Just then Zuko's cell phone rang unexpectedly.

"Hello?"

"Um, I'm on the way to Uncle's"

"Yes sir."

"Well-I- I understand."

"What are you talking about?"

"Your car?"

"No sir." Zuko held the phone about a foot away from his ear due to the yelling coming from the other line. After a minute of incessant yelling, Zuko deemed it safe to put the phone back to his ear.

"No."

"I said no."

Zuko sighed and hung up the phone. He turned to Suki.

"Yeah, he's pissed. But that's not the worst of our problems right now."

"Uh, then what is?" Suki asked, hesitantly.

"He followed his car."

"Oh fuck," Suki exclaimed.

"What, what's going on?" Sokka asked, detecting trouble.

"Who was that on the phone?" Aang asked, sounding defensive and almost threatening.

Zuko took a deep breath before going to explain the phone call. "That was my Dad. Um, he's outside."

"What?" Aang and Sokka asked simultaneously.

Suki interjected then, "He probably just wants to finish what he started with-" Zuko cut her off.

"With me!" Zuko said, elbowing Suki hard in the arm. "He probably wants to finish this thing he started with me…I'll be right back."

Zuko hopped out of the window. Suki, Aang, and Sokka piled up at the window to watch what was about to go down in their front yard.

Zuko bravely walked out to the street to face Ozai. It was no longer a secret to anyone that Ozai wanted to kill Zuko for a countless number of reasons. Just as everybody knew about all the healing sessions that went on between Zuko and Katara to fix the worst of what Ozai would do to him nightly. So naturally, even though Aang and Sokka weren't the happiest with their firebending comrade, they couldn't help but be concerned for his life at the moment.

"Why is _he_ here?" Aang as Suki in a whisper.

"Uh, it's complicated." She replied.

At the curb of the street, Zuko had walked up to his villainous father.

Suki, Sokka, and Aang cringed at the FWAP of Ozai's arm coming into fierce contact with the back of Zuko's head.

Zuko stood stony and unresponsive as Ozai attacked him with angry words and bludgeons. Suki picked up on a few words of the one-sided conversation. Some of the recurring words were "car", "she", "where" and "you-little-shit".

Ozai struck Zuko across the face, then raised his huge fist and swung, hitting him square in the mouth. Zuko spat blood and what may have been a tooth in his father's face.

Back in the house, Suki was taking charge of the situation she anticipated.

"Um, we need to hide Kat. Don't ask questions, just do what I say, please, Sokka, trust me." She said after Sokka had begun to interject with a few bewildered questions and protests. Sokka looked his girlfriend in the eye and agreed under the condition of having everything explained afterwards.

"Sokka, Aang, help me put Kat under the bed. Hurry up, I don't think we have a whole lot of time."

"Suki, what's going on?" Aang asked as he helped with Suki's instructions.

"I'll explain later, Aang, I promise."

"Somebody drag Toph into the hallway!"

Suki yelled out as she peered out of the window to check on how things were going on Zuko's end. Oh no, she thought as she saw Zuko collapse onto the yard, falling unconscious after another head strike from Ozai.

Suki saw Ozai stalking toward the window. "Guys, go out in the hallway. I'll take care of this."

"Suki, no way. I'm not letting you out of my sight with that killer around!" Sokka exclaimed.

"Fine, uh, Sokka, go wake up your dad, Aang, please go hide in the closet. Don't come out, no matter what. If Ozai sees you and recognizes you as the Avatar that will just make things worse."

The two did as they were told and Suki perched herself on Kat's bed, in direct view of the window.

Ozai appeared at the window to see the redhead from earlier lying in a strikingly sexy way atop the bed.

"Where's your friend?" Ozai asked impatiently. Dammit, Suki thought, he's not gonna go for the bait. She shrugged in a quirky manner, not yet abandoning her plan.

"I dunno, not here."

Ozai sneered, "Then I guess you won't have a problem with me coming in and looking for her?"

"Nope, come on in," Suki said, rolling over onto her stomach and propping herself up on her elbows. Though she was by that time completely sober, she gave the intruder a drunken looking, ditzy smile. "You'll just waste your time looking for her. She's not here…but I am." She giggled giddily to reinforce her act.

Ozai stood considering his options. If he just took what the redhead was offering, he could most likely use her to get to the other one some other time, besides, It was better than nothing, and she honestly wasn't half-bad looking. Maybe she would prove even better than her friend.

"If you insist," he said, "now, would you like to go to my home? It would be much more appropriate."

Suki nodded, "Sure, I'd love to go anywhere with you," she said, adding an extra edge to her voice. She got off the bed in a swaying, mock -drunken way to keep up her act while also making sure to cleverly show off certain angles of her femininity. Yet just as she was walking over to let Ozai help her out of the window, the door burst open and revealed Sokka and Hakoda.

Police Chief Hakoda held out his badge, "You, Ozai Kasanji, are under arrest for trespassing, at the very least." Hakoda cocked his gun and Suki ran behind Ozai to slam the window shut and generally block that way out. Sokka stood in the doorway, his shoulders heaving from adrenaline. Ozai stood in the middle of it all and for a minute it seemed like they finally had him. Then he let that evil grin creep across his countenance just before he let streams of fire fly out of his fists. The felon then darted out of the room, throwing Sokka out of his way to skid on the carpet of the newly burning house.

"Aang, you can come out of the closet and get some liquidy-cool-water bending action so our house doesn't burn down!" Aang just about flew out of the closet and air-bender ran to the bathroom where he turned on the faucet and bathtub to get water to extinguish the fires. Suki leaned under the bed and dragged her best friend out from under there and tried to get her to come to. At that time Zuko ran in through the door, ready to help diffuse the fire with his bending.

Soon enough, the emergency fire fighters had the fire all under control with little damage and they had all gathered in the den for some hot tea and reluctant explanations. Katara had finally awoken with a massive headache and a confused memory.

Finally, Hakoda, Aang, and Sokka decided it was time to get some answers. Sokka stood out as the spokesman.

"So, somebody tell me what that was all about!"

The three troublemakers exchanged glances with each other, not sure how to begin their tale.

"Well," Suki started, deciding to get it over with "what had happened was…"


	7. The Final Last Chapter

**Author's Note! **

First off, sorry for taking so long, this chapter was giving me som serious trouble. I hope you all like the ending! Check out my other stuff or my deviantart account under my same username! Thanks for reading, reviews are appreciated!

Okay, as you all know, this is an AU fic that I based on the world that my sister created for the epic story that she's working on called The Fallen Diaries, a Zutara story that covers about every problem that the modern world has. Her story focuses on the issues in the world that people like to pretend don't exist such as child abuse, drug use, suicide, discrimination, grief, loss, fear, lies, revenge, and some happy stuff too, but, that's a story for another day. I just want to tell you a little bit about it so that you can understand where I'm coming from in this fic. If you have any questions about the back-story, just send me a message and I'll clear up any questions.

By the way, here's a link that talks about the new spinoff series by Koneitzko and Dimartino, new info! It's coming in 2011

.net/news/articles/34425/new-series-avatar-the-legend-of-korra-premieres-in-2011

**Zuko PoV**

I knocked on the door to Katara's room where she had been for the past few hours after Suki and I had recapped the events from earlier the best we could. She was so humiliated and angry with herself after all that had happened, and I felt like I needed to be there for her. She needed to hear what she always told me, that it's not her fault. I had to tell her that there was nothing that could be done about what had happened and that, well, that I still love her and that I always have. Of course I wasn't going to say that, not exactly. I'd just let her know that I'm here for her, and that none of us blame her for any of the… unfortunate events that happened last night. After I knocked I waited for a response that came in the form of the door opening and Aang walked out of Katara's room. He walked past me without even looking up and I saw a look on his face that was a vast contradiction from his usual happy go lucky expressions.

Hesitant, I stood in the doorway, unsure if Katara would want to see me just then. When she didn't say anything I decided I had to do something.

"Um, Katara, can I come in?"

I saw her nod as she lied curled up on her side on her bed and I walked over to her.

I wanted to say something like 'are you alright', but it was obvious that she wasn't so that would be a dumb thing to say. Thankfully, she spoke and broke the awkward silence, though what she said could have just made things more awkward than before…

"Aang and I-"she started slowly, her voice on the verge of breaking, "we broke up." I felt my eyes widen in shock. I walked closer to my distraught friend and put what I hoped was a comforting hand on her shoulder.

"I-I'm sorry," I said lamely, not sure of what else to say.

"No, really, it's okay. I guess, I broke up with him," she said, rubbing her hand under her eyes.

"Oh. Well, I know it still must hurt. I know how hard break ups can be, even if it's the right thing to do." She knew that my words had plenty of meaning behind them since she had recently helped me through my breakup with my girlfriend of over a year, Mai. Katara sat up on her bed and I saw her take a deep, rattling breath. I sat on the edge of her bed next to her and watched as she tried to regain her composure, yet after wiping her eyes again, she suddenly wrapped her arms around me in an unexpected hug. Quickly I got over my shock and held her close, trying to be there for her after so long of being her adversary, back in those dark days before I actually got to know all these good people. Katara was such an amazing person; she deserved so much more than this. I hate seeing her with this kind of emotion, such pain doesn't look right on her.

"Katara, it's going to be alright, you know that. I mean, maybe you and Aang will even get over it and make up or something."

She pulled away from our embrace and shook her head defiantly. "No, really, I'm fine with the break up. We had it coming. I mean, sometimes Aang is a really, really sweet kid, but, I don't want to have to treat my boyfriend like he's my little brother. I'll get over it because that's really not the worst part about this whole night."

"Not the worst part? Then what was, do you think?"

"It's that now we might have a lot more problems. I've always kind of liked to think of here, my home, as a refuge for you and a sort of sanctuary for all of us. It was like the one place Ozai could never reach. I always thought of home as somewhere you could come and get away from his violence and abuse and the person that he wants you to be, but now he knows. Zuko, he knows where to find you now and I can't stand that."

I nodded, I'd already thought about that, not because of the reasons she said, but because of how much danger she was in, all because of me.

"Katara, don't worry about that, we'll be able to work it out. I mean, maybe he doesn't even remember how to get here. Or, if it comes down to it, I just won't come here anymore. Anything to keep you safe."

"No!" She clutched my T-shirt and buried her head in my shoulder. "When you're here, I know that-that you're…safe, from him," She hesitated and I knew there was something that she wanted to add, "or from you." Oh, yeah. I knew that was part of what she was worried about, and I really had been trying not to do it so much, for her. Subconsciously I rubbed my forearm, feeling the series of bumps, scabs…scars. I had scars all over my body, not just the obvious one, but also other ones from him, scars on my back from his belt, scars on my shoulder from his knife, along with many other hated memories branded onto my skin, but I feel like she hates the ones that I inflicted on myself the most. I held her close to me, wishing that I was the person she deserved to have in her life.

"I'm so sorry, Katara. I hate upsetting you."

"No, it's not your fault." Yes it is, I thought, it's always my fault. At least, that's what Father has always said, and what I've always believed.

After a prolonged moment of tense, silent embracing, the beautiful blue eyed girl spoke again.

"Zuko, I have something I've been needing to tell you." She pulled away from my arms and curiously I waited, heart racing. Oh no, I thought, this can't be good. I looked into her eyes, not knowing what I would see as I waited for her to finish her statement. "I think I'm…um," she looked away, seeming to take an extreme interest in her plush carpet.

"What is it? Katara, just say it." She bit her lip.

She muttered something so low that I could barely hear her.

"Um, what did you say?"

"It's just-"she took a breath and shook her head, "I really think I'm- well, I really like you Zuko." I felt my eyes widen in shock as my heart spazzed out in the weirdest way. I can't believe she just said that.

"No, Katara, you need sleep, I'm sure you're just really tired and still a bit…off from earlier."

She shook her head defiantly.

"What? I finally get the guts to tell you I like you and you don't even believe me? You can ask Suki! We've been talking about it for weeks! Oh no, don't tell me she's right about you being gay!" The sheer horrification on her face would have been humorous in a lighter situation.

"What? No, that's not it. What about Aang?" I asked her, more confused than I'd ever been in my life.

"Oh," Katara blushed and hid behind her hair, "I was planning on breaking up with him soon, I just didn't know how to do it. So…should I just forget it? I mean, I hoped that you liked me too, but if you don't then that's okay, I'll just…" Is she insane? How could I not like her? What I didn't understand was how she could like me; it wasn't all that long ago that she absolutely hated my guts! But she was saying that she did and for some ridiculous reason, she was talking like she thought I didn't return her feelings.

"Katara," I interrupted her rambling. Oh God, how do I say this, now that I had her attention I had no idea how to let her know how I felt about her. She sat there in front of me, with her eyes shining and her beauty radiating in the moonlight. I shut down my mind so that I wouldn't overthink what I was about to do. I leaned closer to her and kissed her, pulling away soon after our lips touched. Suddenly I was terrified of what I had done; hopefully I hadn't just made a terrible mistake. I looked at Katara's face, trying to read her expression. And I was pleasantly surprised to see her smiling. "Katara, I like you too." Her smile beamed across her countenance and, for lack of a better word, glomped me. I sighed, feeling the weight of our revelations.

"I don't want to drag you into something you'll regret." I told her, knowing that it was dangerous to get involved with anyone.

"You're not dragging me into anything."

"You need to understand something, Katara." She looked up at me.

"What's that?"

"Everyone I care about ends up getting hurt, one way or another. This is dangerous. It's a really bad idea to get involved with me."

"Now there's something that _you_ need to understand, Zuko." She said straightening up, a scowl forming on her face, "I know how dangerous this could be, and I don't care. I want to be the one to help you through whatever danger and obstacles you have to deal with. I know what I'm getting into." I saw a spark of determination in her eyes and I knew there was no swaying her thoughts on the matter.

"So what does that mean for us now?" I asked her. "It would kill Aang to see us together so soon…"

"Yeah, you're right. We'll wait for a little while, okay?"

I nodded. Maybe by then she'll see how bad of an idea it would be to get more involved in my life than she already is, but an irrational part of me really hoped that wouldn't happen.


End file.
